Unnecessary Chances
by Sailor Stella
Summary: Have no clue so here goes. A Pilot's mistake and what his Admiral gives him for actions to this mistake.


Okay this story is not mine. I don't even like Robotech. But he wrote this story a while ago and I thought that it is funny, so I asked him if I could put it up on my page. Hope you like it. Oh and to tell you, I'm putting this up just like the way he wrote it. So please don't worry about the swear words and some other stuff. I'm not the writer of this one so please understand that the ideas are not mine. Neither Mike nor me own Robotech.

                                                      **_Unnecessary Chances_**

**_                             A Robotech Side Story.  By Michael S. Esp_**

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Chapter 1 

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_Earth Space 2100 Hours:_

            Mike pushed his Valkyrie's engines to the breaking point. The temperature gauge was already in the red but he ignored it. The longer he stayed at this speed the closer the engines got to exploding.

            "Fuck It." Mike said, "I'm not gonna run from these Zentradi bastards any more."

Mike banked the Valkyrie to the right, cutting the power to the engines as he went through the maneuver. When he had finally turned the fighter 180 degrees, mike flipped the switch transforming the Valkyrie from "Fighter mode" to "Battloid mode".

            "Come get me you bastards!!" Mike yelled, even though he knew the enemy couldn't hear him. He pulled the trigger for the laser machine gun and swept the gun in a 90-degree ark, taking out the two chasing Battle Pods. Something flashed on the radar directly above him. Mike pulled back on the control stick, tilting the target sight upward and locked on to the Zentradi Battle Pod. He pressed the button for HMWM's (heat-tracking Multi-warhead Missiles) and let the little Pod have it. The Pod exploded in a ball of flame sending bits of metal and Zentradi in every direction. A group of three Pods burst through the flames and opened fire. Mike switched the Valkyrie back into "Fighter" and pushed the throttle to full. The Zentradi followed closely after.

            "Mike! Bank to the left and climb!"

            "Yeah man, we got you covered."

            Mike did as he was told. Looking over his shoulder he watched as the chasing Pods were cut into Swiss cheese by Matt and John's lasers guns. Two more Pods appeared behind them.

            "John on your six!" Mike yelled into the comm.

            John's Valkyrie turned and let lose with a barrage of missiles. The Pods exploded in a brilliant ball of fire.

            "Goodness gracious great balls of fire!" John said as he watched the pods explode.

            "Bravo John. Now do you know all the words?" Matt asked.

            "Huh?" John replied, "What the hell are you talking about?"

            "That song. It's from the late 20th century. Now do you or don't you know the words?" Matt asked again.

            "Damm man." John said, "I didn't even know that was actually a song. What a total mind wrap."

            "Dude, you are on crack and you aint sharing dammit." Mike said.

            "Go to hell Mike." John said then turned his Valkyrie back towards base and took off.

            "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt." Mike said as he blasted off after him

            "Dudes wait up!" Matt yelled.

            The three Valkyries flew off back towards the orbiting space station that acted as the RDF's (Robotech Defense Force) base while the SDF-3 was being built. It was huge, almost an eight the size of the moon. It had to be that big to hold the defected Zentradi and their commander Breetie. Breetie and his men had defected from the Masters after the first Robotech War. Deciding that a life as a free person was better than one of a slave under the Masters.

            The station had two hanger bays. One on the space side and one on the Earth side. The three fighters headed towards the space-side hanger at the approach speed.

            "Tower this is Dragon Leader requesting permission to land." Mike said into the comm.

            "Copy that Dragon Leader. Did Dragon's 2 & 3 locate you?"

            "Yeah they did. We took a couple of hits but we're all ok." Mike said into the radio, "have landing crew ready to make repairs. Our ETA is three minutes."

            "Roger that Dragon Leader. Welcome home."

_C&C's office 2300 hours:_

"What the bloody hell did you think you were doing Lieutenant Esp?" Vice Admiral Watters screamed, "First you leave base on no ones authority but your own. Second, you endanger two members of your squadron and yourself. Than you destroy seven Battle Pods. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

            "Eight Sir." Mike said.

            "What the hell are you talking about?" Admiral Watters asked.

            "We destroyed eight Pods Sir. Not seven as you previously noted." Mike said with sort of a smile.

            "Always the smart-ass huh Lieutenant." She said.

            "Better than being a dumb one Sir." Mike said in his most sarcastic tone.

            "Quit that Lieutenant. Now what are we going to do with you?" Watters asked.

            "I don't know Sir. What do YOU want to do with me?" mike asked with a smile.

            "Dammit Lieutenant. I said that's enough. Now get the hell out of my office before I hurt you." Watters said as she sat down at her desk.

            "Kinky, Admiral. Kinky. I never knew you were that way." Mike said as he walked out the door.

            The door slid shut with a hiss of escaping gas. It was thick but Mike could still hear the Admiral's laughter as he walked down the hallway to his quarters. He smiled and thought to himself that the Admiral had kind of a sexy laugh. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Mike walked down the corridor to the elevator shaft and got on the nest elevator. He pressed the button for the Civilian deck and rode the elevator down. When he reached the Civvie deck he got off the elevator and headed straight for his quarters.

            Inside his room, mike removed his flight suit. Once out of it, he headed back to the bathroom for a long shower. After the shower he put on a pair of sweat pants and climbed into bed. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. The strangest part was that he had the most "interesting" dream about Vice Admiral Watters one that he would keep to himself for the time being.

_Next Day 1100 Hours:_

It was going to be a long day. A very, very long day. Mike could tell that already. He knew this when he woke up that morning and found a message from Admiral Watters slid under his door.

            "Oh shit." He thought, "what the hell does she want now." He opened the message and read the inside.

            Lieutenant Esp,

                        Because of your actions last night, you and the other two members of your squadron who assisted you are on training duty until further notice. You are to report to the VR training room by 1130 hours. You will be training the new recruits how not to take "unnecessary chances" like those you took last night. This is not debatable. If you or any members of your squadron have a problem with this, please feel free to take it up with me.

                        Sincerely,

                        Vice Admiral Watters

            P.S. I enjoyed our little talk last night. Perhaps we could continue it some other time. Maybe over dinner?

            Funny Mike thought as he walked down the corridor to the VR Training room. I figured I would get a demotion for that little stunt last night. Not an invitation to join the Admiral for dinner.

            "Hey Mike!" Matt yelled as Mike strode into the training room. "What's going on? Why were put on this detail?"

            "Sorry guys. My fault." Mike said, "thanks to my little stunt last night the three of us are on training duty until further notice."

            "That's just great. We save your ass and get put on training detail for it!" John complained, "you'd think that the higher up would at lest thank us for saving our commanding officer!"

            Mike tried to hide a smile but he couldn't help it. John was right. They had risked their own lives to save his. Guess that's part of being friends. They would risk their lives for one another. It was almost ironic because they had such a devotion to each other that people on the station had begun to call them the Three Musketeers. All for one, and one for all and all that other BS you know. It was funny because the three of them enjoyed being compared to three brave fighters such as the Musketeers. They all considered it an honor. Just as long as they didn't let it go to their heads Admiral Watters had said.

            But where the hell were the trainee's? It was already 11:45 and they were nowhere to be found. He was going to have somebody's butt if they wasted his squadron's time. He should have found out the trainee's names before reporting to duty. Oh well he thought, live and learn.

            "Attention on deck!!" John yelled as the two trainees': somewhat out of breath fell into ranks. Matt looked at the new recruits like sheep coming to the slaughter. Mike new that look, and he was pretty sure he had it himself.

            "What the hell do you think you are doing recruits?" Mike yelled, "can't you even get out of bed on time? No don't tell me. Your mommy's forgot to wake you up this morning. Well that excuse isn't going to cut it. When you're a pilot you need to be able to wake up at a moments notice in case of an enemy attack. Especially if you're in my squadron. Next to General Hunters Skull Squadron, the Dragons are the pride of the RDF."

            "Sorry Sir. It won't happen again." They both said in unison, as if they had practiced it.

            "I don't care of your sorry or not." Mike said, "Just don't let it happen again. Is that understood recruits?"

            "Sir, yes Sir!"

            "Alright than recruits state your names." John told them. At this point Mike actually noticed what the recruits looked like. The one on the left was a female with shoulder length brown hair. She stood just a little shorter than Matt, and standing next to either John or him she would look like a dwarf. The other recruit was a male with short-copped brown hair. He stood taller than the female recruit and stiff as a board. He looked as if he was still trying to catch his breath.

            "Ensign Katrina Young reporting Sir." The female said.

            "Ensign Travis Frescas also reporting for duty Sir." The young man said.

            "Well now that were all acquainted." Mike said, "Ensign Frescas you will accompany Lieutenant Russell to the training pods in Room 1. Lieutenant Conyers, your self and Ensign Young take the pods in Room 2. Training activates will commence in five minutes. Now move it."

            Sir, yes Sir!" the four of them said. With that the four of them went off in their respective directions. Mike headed up to the control room. The technician inside saluted him as he entered.

            "Commencer operations." Mike said into the radio. He watched as his two fried and the recruits strapped themselves into the VR pods. The pods would simulate the cockpit of a Valkyrie. The pods could also simulate anything that the real thing could do. They were as real as you could get without actually being in one. That also meant that any hits Matt or John (like it would happen) and the recruits took would send a jolt through the pods.

            The simulation started with all four Valkyries taking off from an Earth bound runway and climbing to a pre-designated altitude. They all did this with such ease that it seemed a child could do it just as well. The second part of the simulation consisted of the two recruits transforming their Valkyries into Battloid than Gerwalk and finally back into fighter mode. After these two preliminary tests were over, Mike ordered the four Valkyries to climb out of Earth's atmosphere and into space. There they would run through a trial battle program. John and Matt would assist the two recruits during this phase of the testing. The two Ensigns ran through the test perfectly. Too perfect for Mike's taste. He opened a secured channel to Matt and John's pods.

            "Ok you guys. Were going to all a little twist to this training session. When I give the word, I want you to throw everything you've got at these rookies. Got that?" he asked.

            "Loud and clear. We're gonna have some fun at last. Think you can handle it John?" Matt asked.

            "No prob. Let's see how these two rookies can handle two aces." John gloated.

            "Take it easy you two. Just ruff them up a bit, don't kill them." Mike replied.

            "Copy that Dragon Leader." Both Matt and John said in a sarcastic tone. Mike closed the channel and opened one with all four Valkyries.

            "Alright. I've got a little surprise for you two new recruits. When I give the word commence with the final stage of testing." Mike told them over the radio.

            "Copy that command." young replied.

            "Ready when you are sir." Frescas said.

            "Commence final test!" mike practically yelled over the radio. He watched as the four fighters spilt in all directions. John did a flip with a barrel half way through it so he could on Ensigns Frescas's tail. He immediately opened fire with his laser gun. Frescas banked high right than dove to avoid John's fire. John followed as closely as he could; staying right on the recruits tail the entire time. That's when things went wrong. It all happen so fast. One moment it seemed as if John had the young Ensign and the next there was almost a mid-space collision! Ensign Frescas; seeing that John was following very closely, threw his air brakes to full and let John fly right under him. It was a good maneuver but a very deadly one. In a real battle if Ensign Frescas had reacted a second later both him and the enemy would be space dust. Lucky for him, bad luck for John. The next thing Mike saw was a swarm of missiles shooting up John's tail and blowing his Valkyrie to pieces.

            "God Dammit!" mike heard John yell over the radio. He couldn't help but smile. Matt wasn't having any better luck with Ensign Young either. She was right on his six, laser gun spiting death. Matt pulled the Valkyrie into a u-turn and flew right over her head. Mike was amazed at what he saw next. Ensign Young switched her Valkyrie into Battloid mood, turned and took one shot at Matt's escaping Valkyrie. The shot was a good one. Piercing the canopy and sucking Matt's virtual body out into space. He was dead in a second.

            "Man she's good." Matt said over the radio. Mike couldn't believe it. He had watched it but he couldn't believe it. His two best pilots had been shot down like flies by two rookies! It didn't bother him that they were shot down. What bothered him was that it was two Ensigns who had done the shooting.

            "All of you report to the flight deck immediately." Mike said over the radio.

            "They're good Sir. A little too good to be rookies if you ask me." The technician said to Mike as he walked out of the control room.

            "You're telling me. It's my guys who got shot down remember." Mike said over his shoulder as he walked out the door. It would make a good story though he thought.

            Mike walked down the flight stairs to the flight deck. The four pilots were already assembled and waiting. John and Ensign Frescas were standing aside talking to one another while Matt and Ensign Young stood apart from everyone else.

            "I've just got one question for you two." Mike said to the Ensigns, "were in the hell did the two of you learn to fly like that? You are the only rookies I've ever met that could take on two ace pilots like they were children."

            "We're not rookies Sir. Both of us have been trained to be warriors cense we were born." Ensign Frescas explained. "Admiral Watters told us not to tell any one about this until we finished today's final test. We meant no disrespect towards either you or your men Sir."

            "My god!" john exclaimed, "They're both half Zentradi."

            Ignoring John's remark, Ensign Frescas continued to explain.

            "Both of your men are very good pilots. They had the disadvantage though. You see Lieutenant; Admiral Watters had given us battle footage of you and these other two pilots to view before taking this final test. That Sir is why we were late this morning. We were up all night studying the footage."

            "So that's how you knew what we might do." Matt said somewhat to himself.

            "And to Lieutenant Conyers remark about us being half Zentradi." Ensign Young stated, "It is true. We are both half Zentradi. A Zentradi scout raped our mother. She gave birth to us and raised us as two human children. Then when the first Robotech war started; our mother fearing for her life and ours fled to Earth some ten years ago."

            "Both of us vowed to take revenge for the wrong done unto our mother." Frescas continued, "That is why we joined the RDF. We also joined up because we, I mean both of us wanted to learn about our Zentradi heritage."

            "So the two of you are brother and sister. That helps explain how you did so good during parts of this testing. And both of you being half Zentradi, well that explains the rest." Mike said, "well enough of this BS. Both of you passed with fling colors and would be honored if you would join the Dragon Squadron. Don't answer now but give it some thought. But for right now, you all are dismissed."

            "Sir." Ensign Young stated, "I believe that I speak for my brother and myself when I say that we both would be honored to join your squadron."

            "Well it's settled than." Matt said.

            "Yeah come on. Drinks and dinner on us." Said John.

            "That would be great." Frescas said, "but if you don't mind, call us by our first names from now on. We are after all on the same side."

            "Are you coming Sir?" Ensign Young asked.

            "Um, no thanks Ens…I mean Katrina. I have some things to do." Mike replied.

            "Suit yourself Mike." John said as he lead the two newest members of the squadron out the door, "see you tomorrow dude."

            "Later you guys. Have fun." Mike said in return. He stood there for a while after everyone had left. He couldn't believe he let two Zentradi warriors into squadron, especially after what they had done to his family. He had sworn to rid the universe of their race and now he was letting two half Zentradi Ensigns into his unit. I must be getting soft in my old age he thought. Or maybe I'm just growing up finally.

Finally!! I'm done with it!! I've only been working on copying this story for like seven months now. I started it last summer than it got left behind when I went to Orlando FL to work. And I didn't remember it even after I got home till March. Than I forgot about it again. Than I didn't save it, so I had to start all over. Why didn't I just upload it? Cause Mike, the really writer, doesn't know what he did with the disk.

I hope you like it. Like I've already said I don't even like Robotech but this is a good story. If you like I'll pass on the complements to Mike. And like I've said before, I did get his permission to put this up. In fact he thought it would be cool and fun.


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